The essence of expertise in Irish emergency nursing : A phenomenological inquiry

• Main Author: Johnson, Felicity
• Published: Ulster University 2010
• Subjects: 615.5
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.532175

Background/rationale: While there was consensus in the literature that expert emergency nursing care was crucial for the acutely ill/injured emergency department patient, little of this research was focused specifically on Irish emergency nursing. Consequently, its distinct contextual essence and value were not acknowledged. By identifying and explicating this expertise as it unfolded within the working experience of Irish emergency nurses, it was intended to illuminate its essential nature. Because this study was rooted in clinical practice and in its myriad situations, it was anticipated that recognising and progressing this expertise would contribute to improved care for the emergency patient. Research approach: The aim of this interpretive study was to illuminate the expertise that a group of Irish emergency nurses deployed in their practice in order to gain a situated understanding of what this expertise meant to them. van Manen’s (1990) hermeneutical phenomenological approach was used throughout. Twenty qualified and experienced nurses in eight emergency departments throughout the Republic of Ireland, who were deemed expert in their practices by their peers and managers, were purposively sampled. Broadly, the research question concerned how these nurses viewed the nature, form and function of their expertise. Twenty in-depth, semi structured interviews in two discrete stages were carried out by the researcher. The resulting extensive data were analysed using a combination of van Manen’s (1990) iterative reflexive strategies and a computer analysis software programme called NVIVO 8). Findings: The participants articulated a wide range of professional practices characterising their expertise in the extensive data and these were filtered down and eventually represented by four broad interrelated themes. In summary, practice resilience, practice advocacy, practice wisdom and practice integrity encapsulated the essence of their expertise for these nurses. These findings will hopefully add to the body of nursing knowledge and contribute to future emergency nursing practice, education and research planning and policy.